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Haiti quake: How to help

A list of charities including how to text the Red Cross and other charitable organizations.

Molly Wood Former Executive Editor
Molly Wood was an executive editor at CNET, author of the Molly Rants blog, and host of the tech show, Always On. When she's not enraging fanboys of all stripes, she can be found offering tech opinions on CBS and elsewhere, and offering opinions on everything else to anyone who will listen.
Molly Wood
8 min read

Editors' note: This list was originally posted at CBS News, where you can find ongoing coverage of the Haiti crisis.


Seeking information on family members

The FBI and the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) have established a telephone hot line to report suspected Haitian earthquake relief fraud. The number is 1-866-720-5721. The phone line is staffed by a live operator 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also e-mail information directly to disaster@leo.gov.

The U.S. State Department says Americans seeking information about family members in Haiti should call 1-888-407-4747 or or 202-647-5225.

Due to heavy volume, some callers may receive a recording. "Our embassy is still in the early stages of contacting American citizens through our Warden Network," the U.S. State Department said in a statement. "Communications are very difficult within Haiti at this time."

The FBI is cautioning Americans who want to donate to Haiti relief funds to be careful. If past tragedies are any indication, not all of them are legitimate.

Nurses wanted
The University of Miami Global Institute urgently needs registered nurses in to help in Haiti. Anyone interested should contact them by e-mail.

What is needed

Experts say whatever you do, don't donate anything but money. Under no circumstances should you mail care packages, toys, food, or clothes.
Read more on this from GlobalPost.

Google Person Finder

Google has created Person Finder, a tool for posting information and searching for persons in Haiti, in English, French, and Creole.

Text donations

To make an automatic $10 donation to the Red Cross, text "HAITI" to 90999; the money will be charged directly to your cell phone bill.

You can text HAITI to 25383 to give $5 to the International Rescue Committee.

People can now also text HAITI to 864833 to donate $5 to United Way Worldwide's disaster fund for long-term recovery.

Clinton Bush Haiti Fund

To contribute, visit the secure online donation page at clintonbushhaitifund.org, or mail a check to:

The Clinton Bush Haiti Fund
c/o William J. Clinton Foundation
Donations Department
610 President Clinton Avenue
Little Rock, AR 72201

or

The Clinton Bush Haiti Fund
c/o Communities Foundation of Texas
5500 Caruth Haven Lane
Dallas, TX 75225

or text "QUAKE" to 20222 to charge a $10 donation to fund.

Charitable organizations that offer aid to Haiti:

American Red Cross: Since its founding in 1881 by visionary leader Clara Barton, the American Red Cross has been the nation's premier emergency response organization.

David Blaine: Donate to the American Red Cross through David Blaine's Web site.

Habitat for Humanity: A nonprofit, ecumenical Christian housing ministry.

Salvation Army: an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church. Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination.

Action Against Hunger: Named for the original member of the International Network, Action contre la Faim, or ACF, the ACF International Network shares an overall vision of a world without hunger, collaborating closely and sharing human resources, logistics, and technical capacity.

? International Rescue Committee: Since 1933, the International Rescue Committee goes to crisis zones
to rescue and rebuild. We lead refugees from harm to home.

AmeriCares: a nonprofit disaster relief and humanitarian aid organization which provides immediate response to emergency medical needs--and supports long-term humanitarian assistance programs--for all people around the world, irrespective of race, creed or political persuasion.

American Jewish World Service: American Jewish World Service (AJWS) is an international development organization motivated by Judaism's imperative to pursue justice. AJWS is dedicated to alleviating poverty, hunger and disease among the people of the developing world regardless of race, religion or nationality. AJWS fosters civil society, sustainable development and human rights for all people, while promoting the values and responsibilities of global citizenship within the Jewish community.

Beyond Borders: Beyond Borders is a registered tax-exempt (501c3) nonprofit organization. All contributions are tax-deductible. We are certified by the state of Pennsylvania as a charitable organization.

CARE: CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty.

United Way:United Way is a worldwide network in 45 countries and territories, including nearly 1,300 local organizations in the U.S. It advances the common good, creating opportunities for a better life for all, by focusing on the three key building blocks of education, income and health.

Catholic Relief Services: Help CRS rush humanitarian relief to survivors within hours of man-made and natural disasters around the world.

Clean the World:Clean the World is currently mobilizing and organizing several large hygiene product collections that have been committed today in addition to the normal processing and collection we receive because of your commitment to our recycling program. Additionally, we call on all soap manufacturers and amenity providers to donate as much over stock or inventory to Clean the World.

ConcernUSA.org: a nongovernmental, international, humanitarian organization dedicated to the reduction of suffering and working towards the ultimate elimination of extreme poverty in the world's poorest countries.

Childcare Worldwide: At Childcare Worldwide, our unique programs not only help feed hungry children and their families, they also help children receive an education that leads to employment. Our goal is to help children survive and succeed.

Direct Relief International: Since 1948, Direct Relief International has worked to help people who confront enormous hardship to improve the quality of their lives.

Doctors Without Borders: Doctors Without Borders provides aid in nearly 60 countries to people whose survival is threatened by violence, neglect, or catastrophe, primarily due to armed conflict, epidemics, malnutrition, exclusion from health care, or natural disasters.

Episcopal Relief & Development : In the aftermath of a 7.0-magnitude earthquake, Episcopal Relief & Development is providing critical emergency funds to Haiti.

Food for the Poor: Food For The Poor ministers to spiritually renew impoverished people throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. Food For The Poor raises funds and provides direct relief assistance to the poor, usually by purchasing specifically requested materials and distributing them through the churches and charity organizations already operating in areas of need.

Feed My Starving Children: Feed My Starving Children is a nonprofit Christian organization committed to feeding God's starving children hungry in body and spirit.

Friends of WFP : Friends of WFP is a U.S.-based, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that focuses on building support in the United States for the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) and other hunger relief operations.

Haitian Health Foundation: The Haitian Health Foundation provides health care, development, relief, and the hope of a future to more than 225,000 of the poorest people in over 100 rural mountain villages in southwestern Haiti.

Hope for Haiti: Hope for Haiti has held the vision from the very beginning that the people of Haiti are the ones who take control of their future and we are here to lend a needed hand along the difficult path.

International Medical Corps: International Medical Corps is a global, humanitarian, nonprofit organization dedicated to saving lives and relieving suffering through health care training and relief and development programs.

International Relief Teams: International Relief Teams is a nonprofit, international relief organization dedicated to organizing volunteer teams to provide medical and nonmedical assistance to the victims of disaster and profound poverty worldwide.

International Rescue Committee:
The IRC will be working with overwhelmed local aid groups to provide vital medical care, clean water and sanitation to the quake's survivors.

The Jewish Federations of North America : The Jewish Federations of North America represents 157 Jewish Federations and 400 Network communities, which raise and distribute more than $3 billion annually for social welfare, social services and educational needs.

Lutheran World Relief : Lutheran World Relief is responding to the affected communities through its partners on the ground in Haiti. LWR anticipates a large response. Every dollar donated to this life-saving effort is critical to providing the necessary emergency support to the people of Haiti.

Medical Teams International: Since 1979, Medical Teams International has shipped more than $1.3 billion in antibiotics, surgical kits and
lifesaving medicines to care for 35 million people in 100 countries around the world. More than 2000 volunteers meet the needs of people worldwide each year.

Meds and Food for Kids: Meds & Food for Kids is dedicated to saving the lives of Haiti's malnourished children and other nutritionally vulnerable people.

Mercy Corps: Mercy Corps is a team of 3,700 professionals helping turn crisis into opportunity for millions around the world. By trade, we are engineers, financial analysts, drivers, community organizers, project managers, public health experts, administrators, social entrepreneurs and logisticians. In spirit, we are activists, optimists, innovators and proud partners of the people we serve.

Operation Blessing International: Operation Blessing International Relief and Development Corporation (OBI) is a nonprofit 501 (c)(3) humanitarian organization based in Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA.

Oxfam: Oxfam International is a confederation of 14 like-minded organizations working together and with partners and allies around the world to bring about lasting change.

Operation USA: Operation USA helps communities alleviate the effects of disasters, disease and endemic poverty throughout the world by providing privately-funded relief, reconstruction and development aid.

Partners in Health: Our mission is to provide a preferential option for the poor in health care.

Planting Peace: Planting Peace will be purchasing and passing our food and water to the many effected by this earthquake.

Samaritan's Purse: Samaritan's Purse is a nondenominational evangelical Christian organization providing spiritual and physical aid to hurting people around the world.

Save the Children: Save the Children is the leading independent organization creating lasting change in the lives of children in need in the United States and around the world.

UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF): Humanitarian fund established by the United Nations to enable more timely and reliable humanitarian assistance to areas affected by natural disasters. CERF will assure that the funds for the relief effort in Haiti will go where they are most needed in the network of international aid organizations.

UNICEF: UNICEF is mandated by the United Nations General Assembly to advocate for the protection of children's rights, to help meet their basic needs and to expand their opportunities to reach their full potential.

World Concern: World Concern works in 24 of the poorest countries on Earth, giving hope and opportunities to vulnerable people in great need.

World Vision: World Vision helps transform the lives of the world's poorest children and families in nearly 100 countries, including the United States. Our nonprofit work extends assistance to all people, regardless of their religious beliefs, gender, race, or ethnic background.